Can handling magnet



April 11, 1950 K. A. BLIND CAN HANDLING MAGNET Filed Jan. 16, 1948 J. milm M a w M 7 r A 7 Q 8 6 1 1 6 1| #7 m w 4 I 4 J "H M Patented Apr. 11,1950 CAN HANDLING MAGNET Karl A. Blind, Thiensvill Magnetic Separator e,Wis., assignor to Dings (10., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation ofWisconsin Application January 16, 1948, Serial No. 2,681

6 Claims.

My invention relates generally to improvements in devices forfacilitating transportation of food laden containers such as metal cansfrom place to place in canning factories and warehouses, and relatesmore particularly to improvements in the construction and operation ofpermanently magnetized can handling magnets or the like.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improvedmagnet assemblage for attracting and firmly holding one or morerelatively frail bodies such as metal cans or metal covered jars, andfor releasing the articles from the magnet or magnets.

It is frequently desirable in many industries and. especially in canningfactories, to transfer a group of bodies or articles such as commodityladen metal cans and jars having metallic closure caps, from onelocality to another, both gently and without undue impact or shock. Suchhandling and transference of the cans and jars may be readily eilectedwith the aid of one or more electro-magnets or permanent magnets; butdue to the relatively frail nature of the commodity containers, themagnets must function so as to avoid excessive impact and to positivelyhold the receptacles while suspended from the transporting magnets. Thentoo, it must be possible to quickly grasp and to release the articlesfrom the holding magnets, without danger of denting the thin metallicenclosures thereof; and while the prior electro-magnetic devices areadapted to meet all of these requirements, they are relatively bulky andcumbersome due to the use of energizing solenoids, coils and wires, andthe previous permanent magnets have not been sufficiently reliable andeasy to manipulate.

It is therefore a more specific object of my present invention toprovide an improved permanently magnetized can handling unit, which issimple and compact in construction, and which is also readilymanipulable and highly eificient in use.

Another specific object of this invention is to provide an improvedpermanent magnet for attracting and firmly holding relatively frailmetallic bodies in suspension, together with improved instrumentalitiesfor quickly and effectively releasing the articles from the magnet.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide an improvedpermanently energized magnet assemblage wherein one or more magnets areadapted to hold one or more commodity laden cans or jars of diversesizes while being transferred from place to place.

Still another specific object of my invention is to provide a pluralmagnet assembly wherein the several magnets are automatically andindependently adjustable so as to accommodate irregular surfaces of thearticles engaged by the several magnets.

An additional specific object of the present invention is to provide a.plural magnet can lifting device wherein all of the magnets may bequickly and gently applied to and released from one or more of thecontainers.

Another specific object of this invention is to provide a compact anddurable can handling magnet assemblage which may be readily assembled,manipulated, and dismantled, and which may be manufactured at moderatecost for diverse uses.

These and other specific objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the various features constituting my presentimprovement, and of the mode of constructing and of utilizing canhandling magnet assemblages embody these features, maybe had byreferring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of thisspecification wherein the reference characters designate the same orsimilar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a top view of a typical plural magnet can handling assemblagehaving portions broken away to reveal normally concealed structure;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the same can handlingmagnet assembly, taken along the irregular line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical section through one of theindividual magnet units showing the same in action with a can suspendedtherefrom;

Fig. 4 is a likewise enlarged transverse vertical section through themagnet unit showing the magnet in released position; and

Ftig. 5 is a bottom view of the enlarged magnet uni While the inventionas shown is especially advantageous for use in handling commodity ladencans or metal capped jars, either singly or in multiple, 'it is not mydesire or intent to unnecessarily limit the scope or utility of theimproved features by virtue of this restricted showing.

Referring to the drawing, the multiple magnet can handling assemblagespecifically illustrated, comprises in general a portable casing havingupper and lower plates 1, 8 respectively, firmly attached to an annularwall 9 by means of bolts or screws Ill; a magnet suspension disk Hvertically movable within the casing wall 9 along the screws Ill andhaving a plurality of tubular guides l2 depending therefrom and slidablewithin openings l4 formed in the lower casing plate 8; a cylindricalbifurcated magnet I5 slidably confined within each of the guides I2, andeach having a pair of laterally spaced lower poles separated by a recessI6 coacting with a transverse pin I1 secured to the adjacent guide I2,and being urged outwardly by a helical spring I8; a circular housing I9attached to the top plate 1 by cap screws and having a large centralbore 2i and a bearing 22 disposed coaxially of the bore; a guidingsleeve 2d coacting with the housing bore 2i and being secured to themagnet suspension plate II by means of a clamping plate 25 and capscrews 26; and a manipulating handle member 2'? having a rigid stud Z8journalled for rotation in the housing bearing 22 and provided with camthreads 29 coacting with threads formed in the clamping plate 25.

The cylindrical bifurcated magnets !5 are preferably formed of materialsuch as Alnico metal having high magnetic energy characteristics, thismetal containing aluminum, nickel, cobalt, copper and iron, and beingsusceptible of intense permanent magnetization. The gap width or polespacing should be designed for maximum surface strength with relativelysmall range. The mechanical combination of the magnet and spring in eachsub-assembly facilitates a mechanical contact between each magnet andthe article to be lifted. Surface strength combined with suificientrange to magnetically attract the articles through an air gap, requiresconsiderable energy and permanent magnet material. The springs i3obviate the factor of range, and considerable economy in material andweight results from their use. The tubular magnet guides I2 as well asthe plates '8, I! and the annular wall 9 should preferably be formed ofnonmagnetic material in order to concentrate the fields of magneticinfluence at the magnets. The helical compression springs it which coactwith the upper surfaces of the magnets I5, constantly urge the lattertoward their stop pins I1; and these pins are secured to the adjacentguides I2 as shown in Fig. 5, while the tubular guides may be rigidlyattached as by fusion of metal, to the suspension plate II.

The casing plates 1, tachably secured to the ring wall Q by means of thescrews it which also guide the suspension plate I I near its periphery;and each of the screws It is embraced by a stop collar 38 beneath theplate i I and by a helical compression spring 31 above the plate It. Thecollars it serve to limit the downward movement of the plate I i andmagnet guides 52, while the springs 3! constantly urge the plate lldownwardly; and the guiding sleeve 24 which is firmly but detachablysecured to the movable plate i l by means of the clamping plate 25 andcap screws 2%, is freely slidable within the housing bore 2!, wheneverthe handle member '21 is manipulated to positively move the magnets I'5.The handle member 2'! may be of any desired formation, preferably loopshaped in order to readily cooperate with a crane hook or the like, andthe spindle stud 28 may be welded to the handle and is provided with anannular groove 32 within the bearing 22 and with which a set-screw 3G iscooper-able so as'to preventaxial displacement of the spindle relativeto the housing I9, see Fig. 2.

The cam threads 29 formed on the spindle'stud 28 and which coact withsimilar threads formed a may be firmly but .de-- I in the clamping plate25, are preferably of the quick pitch type, and may be replaced by anyother cam formation capable of quickly moving the magnet suspensionplate II up or down whenever the spindle is rotated in the bearing 22and the plate 25 may also be provided with a stop washer 35 as shown,adapted to coact with the top of the housing I9. The assemblage isobviously so constructed, that when the plate H is lowered as in Fig. 2the bottom of the plate I I will engage the stop collars 35 and thelower extremities of the tubular guides I2 will be flush with the lowerface of the casing plate 8; whereas elevation of the plate I! until thestop washer 35 engages the housing 59, will withdraw the guides I2 andmagnets I5 upwardly into the adjacent openings Id as illustrated in Fig.4. Such lowering and raising of the magnet suspension plate H may bequickly and conveniently effected by merely twisting the handle member2'? in the proper direction relative to the main casing and housin It.

When the improved can handling magnet assemblage has been properlyconstructed as above described, it may be manipulated as follows totransfer one or more food laden cans 36 or the like, from place topiace. 7/hile the cans-3E are resting upon a support, the mag-netassembly with the individual permanent magnets 55 protruding beyond thelower plate 8 as in Figs. 2 and 3, may be lowered to cause the magnetpoles to engage the can tops, whereupon the magnets will attract andbecome firmly attached to the cans. The backing springs in will permitthe individual magnets it to automatically adjust themselves tounevenness in the can surfaces so as to insure most effective contact atthe pole faces, and when the assemblage is subsequently lifted away fromthe initial can support, the cans 36 will be lifted and held insuspension by the magnets i5 coacting therewith. After the suspendedcans it have been transferred to the desired locality, they may bebrought in contact with a new support, and they may then be releasedfrom the magnets I5 by merely twisting the handle member 27 so as topositively elevate the plate l I, guides i2 and magnets I5 as depictedin Fig. 4, thus freeing the cans.

It will be apparent that the cans 35 may thus be quickly andconveniently attached to and released from the magnets i5, and obviouslyone or more of these magnets may be caused to cooperate with one or moreof the cans 3%. When very large cans 36 are being handled, all of themagnets I5 may cooperate with the individual cans, but in every instancethe springs l8 permit the magnets to properly engage the can surfaces.The springs 3! which coact with the upper "surface of the magnetsuspension plate II aid in urging'this plate downwardly when the magnetsare lowered, and also eliminate undesirable lost motion, and the tubularguides I2 and sleeve 24 cooperate with the parallel screws It toeffectively guide the plate It during its movement. The pins I! alsocoact with the recesses It to permit slight rocking motion of'themagnets I5; and the specific formation of the gaps formed by theserecesses I6 combined with the springs 1 3, is an extremely importantfeature of the present improvement.

From the foregoing detailed description, it will be apparent that thepresent invention provides a can handling magnet assemblage which is infact simple,'compact and durable inconstruction, and which is alsoreadily manipulable and eflective in use. The improved device comprisesrelatively few simple parts which may be easily manufactured andassembled, and which may also be readily dismantled for inspection. Manyof these parts such as the magnets l are interchangeably similar thusreducing the cost of construction to a minimum, and by utilizing Alnicometal in the magnets a powerful permanently magnetized assemblageresults. The improved assemblages may also be produced in diverse sizesfor various uses, and the cam release makes it possible to quickly andeifectively simultaneously remove all of the cans 35 from the magnets I5while the resilient backing of these magnets permits the'into be gentlyapplied to the can surfaces without damaging the articles. Theimprovement has proven highly satisfactory and successful mac tual use,and obviously obviates many complica-I tions inherent inelectro-magnetic devices ofithis kind.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this inventionto the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of operationof the can handling magnet, herein shown and described, for variousmodifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur topersons skilled in the art; and it is also intended that specificdescriptive terms used herein be given the broadest possibleinterpretation consistent with the disclosure.

I claim:

1. In a can handling magnet assemblage, a portable casing having aseries of lower openings, a suspension plate reciprocable within saidcasing and having a series of tubular non-magnetic guides slidablewithin said openings, a permanent magnet slidably confined within eachof said guides, and means for resiliently urging each of said magnetsoutwardly beyond the adjacent guide.

2. In a can handling magnet assemblage, a portable casing having aseries of lower openings, a suspension plate reciprocable within saidcasing and having a series of tubular non-magnetic guides slidablewithin said openings, a permanent magnet slidably confined within eachof .said guides, means for resiliently urging each of said magnetsoutwardly beyond the adjacent guide, and means for lifting said platerelative to said casing to simultaneously retract all of said guides andmagnets into said casing.

3. In a can handling magnet assemblage a portable casing having a seriesof lower openings, a suspension plate reciprocable withinsaidcasing andhaving a series of tubular non-magnetic guides slidable within saidopenings, a permanent magnet slidably confined within each of said:guides, a spring for constantly urging each of said magnets outwardlybeyond its guide, and cam means for lifting said plate relative to saidcasing to simultaneously elevate all of said guides and magnets beyondthe lower confines of said casing.

4. In a can handling magnet assemblage, a portable casing having aseries of lower circular openings, a suspension plate guided forreciprocation within said casing and having a series of hollowcylindrical non-magnetic guides slidable within said circular openings,a cylindrical permanent magnet slidably confined within each of saidguides, and means for resiliently urging each of said magnets outwardlybeyond the adjacent guide.

5. In a can handling magnet assemblage, a portable casing having aseries of lower circular openings, a suspension plate guided forreciprocation within said casing and having a series of hollowcylindrical non-magnetic guides slidable within said openings, acylindrical permanent magnet slidably confined within each of saidguides, means for resiliently urging each of said magnets outwardlybeyond the adjacent guide, and rotary cam means for lifting said platerela-- tive to said casing to simultaneously retract all of said guidesand magnets into said casing.

6. In a can handling magnet assemblage, a portable casing having aseries of lower openings, a suspension plate reciprocable within saidcasing and having a central opening provided with quick-pitch threadsand also having a. series of tubular non-magnetic guides slidable withinsaid casing openings, a permanent magnet slidably confined within eachof said guides, a spring for constantly urging each of said magnetsoutwardly beyond its guide, and a spindle stud journalled in said casingand having quick pitch threads cooperable with said plate threads tolift said plate relative to said casing and to thereby simultaneouslyelevate all of said guides and magnets beyond the lower confines of saidcasing.

KARL A. BLIND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,987,336 Powell Jan. 8, 1935FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 11,952 Great Britain May 13, 1897

